Arjun Babuta Left 'Harassed And Desperate' In Licence Limbo As Rifle Delay Hits Preparations

Paris Olympics fourth-place finisher Arjun Babuta has flagged prolonged bureaucratic delays after waiting over four months for his new rifle to be added to his arms licence, a mandatory requirement for importing competition equipment.

According to TOI, the Punjab shooter bought the rifle from Germany in October last year and applied for the licence endorsement in November. The procedure usually takes 15–20 days but has remained pending, severely affecting his training schedule in a year packed with competitions and selection trials.

"I feel harassed and desperate. This is an important year, as I have competitions and trials every month. Such delays will only push my preparations off track," Babuta told TOI.

He added that he had travelled from Delhi to the Mohali police office four times on his rest days without receiving any clear response.

Babuta also questioned the lack of urgency shown by authorities. "After four months, I now feel it is not worth it. Why am I even working so hard if authorities in my own state don’t care," he said.

When contacted by TOI, Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Harman Singh Hans said tracking individual cases was difficult due to the volume of applications. "We get thousands of such applications every day, how are we supposed to keep track of individual cases," he told TOI.

Hans added that had Babuta contacted him directly, he could have intervened. However, Babuta said he met the officer on February 13, during which the SSP acknowledged receiving the file.

Responding to this, Hans told TOI that he did not recall the meeting but said the application would be cleared in due course.

The issue has drawn concern from the sport’s apex body. National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) secretary general Pawan Singh said such delays derail coordinated efforts to support elite shooters.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs through their notification (CG-DL-E-12022020-216102) have already eased licensing norms for athletes, but it is not implemented at the ground level," Singh told TOI, urging authorities to sensitise stakeholders and ensure smoother execution.

He added that while shooting is recognised as a high-priority sport, administrative hurdles continue to impede its growth.

The delay comes at a crucial time, with shooters globally preparing for events offering quota places for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Babuta remains unable to import his new rifle until the licence endorsement is completed, a setback that threatens to disrupt his Olympic cycle preparations.

This is not the first time that an athlete has faced systemic issues, leaving them feeling harassed and frustrated. In January, India's national pole vault record holder, Dev Kumar Meena, and his coach Ghanshyam were forced to deboard a train at Panvel Railway Station after being denied permission to carry their sports equipment.

They were initially asked to leave the equipment behind by the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and were allowed entry only after prolonged pleading and paying a fine, an incident that sparked outrage on social media.